Feed mechanism for nut-cracking machines.



'1. o. SUZZI." FEED MECHANISM FOR NUT CRACKING MACHINES.

Patented Spt. 10,1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

APPLICATION FILED'NOV. 16, 1911.

.T. G. SUZZL- FEED MECHANISM FOB. NUT, CRACKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NO\T.16, 1911. 1,038,229.

Patented Sep t. 10, 1912.

v 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

T. O. SUZZI.

FEED MECHANISM FOR NUT CRACKING MACHINES.

Patentd Sept 10, 1912;

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1911.

To all 'wIwm-t may concern v Be it known that I, TADDEO "C. SUzzI, citi- Zen; of. the'Unite'd States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of OFFICE. I

ITADDIEO' o. s zzI, or CHICAGO. ILLINOJES.

Flinn MECHANISM" r03 NUT-CRACKING Machines.

Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed Mechanism for Ni1t-Cracking Machines; and I do hereby declare the-'fdllbwing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invent-ion, such' as' will enable others skilled in the artto which itappertains-to make and, use the same.

This invention hasfor its object to -pro-.

" videmew and useful improvements in nut embodying my invention. Fig. a

. inafter fully claimed. f

cracking machines *and relates more par ticularly to feed mechanism for multiple plunger machines of the type shown. and. de-

scribed ii yapp'lic-ation for Letters Patent Serial N'um er 553,336. filed'April 4:, I910.

v The invention consists-in the features of construction and combinations of parts heredescribed and particularly Inthe accompanying, drawings illustrating the invention: Figure 1 is a'fragmental-y side elevationof a nut cracking inachine equipped with feeding mechanism central vertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. '3 1s afragmentary top plan side elevation of feed mechanism constructedv view of thesan e, the hopper-for containing the nuts to be cracked being shown in horizontal section. Fig. 4-- is a fragmentary detail v ew partly in section and partly in in accordance withimy 1nvention,'parts of the nut cracking machine being. included in the illustration. Fig. -5 is a fragmentary detail transverse section on the line mentary detail vertical transverse section of the plunger'employed for discharging the nuts froni the hopperand delivering the same 1n the path of the cracking plungers.

Fig. 7- is'a fragmentary detail'sectional v'iew'on the line T7 of Fi 4 showin i 23 b the adjustable crank connection between the vpitmen actuating the .nut carrying plunger and the gears and disks actuating said pitmen, -S is a detail View in elevation of a har employed showing the connec- Specification of Letters Patent. Patentd Sept,1()"1912 Application filed Novemlier 16, 1911.} Serial No. 660 624. I

tion therewith of deflectorv plates for guid ing the nuts from the carrying plunger-into the pockets where they-are supportedin the {path of the cracking lungersm Fig -9*- is a fragmentary detai top plan view showing one end portion of thecross-bar shown in Fig. 8 and the connection of one of said deflector plates -fherewith.- l ig. -10- is a detail perspective view" of the; pocket carrying plate for receiving and-supporting the nuts in the path -of the cracking plungers and discharging the same when cracked.

' My inventionl as for-its main object to provide subst'ant-iallv automatic feed mecho anism-for multiple plunger nut cracking machines whichis very simple and cfiicieiit and 'will require substantially no attention and which, furthermore, will positively carrynuts to becracked from the hopper into receptacles or pockets where the same are disposed in-the path of the cracking plungers of the nut'craclting machine.

The mechanism is adapted to be applied to the particular, machine described and .claimed in my aforesaid application, Serial said application ser. No. 553',336 and consists of two sets of plungers, one of which is actuated by means of shafts having threaded engagement with the plungers on one side with .a part of the frameof the machine, and which are rotated in one direc tion byrack bars engaging spur piuions on said shaftsand. which move by gravity to rotates'aid shafts to throw said plunge'rs forward into engaging relation to the nuts to be cracked- The latter are engaged between the said rack-actuated plungcrs and a set of plungers carried by; areciprocating 35 V and a similar pitman actuated by a disk on member on the other side which is moved at two different lntervals by means of a cam to primarily throw the same forward a vgiven distance simultaneously with the explanation here;

movement in the opposite direction of the first-named plungers to primarily engage the nut between said opposed plungers. A

further movement is then given to the last- 1 named set'of plunger-s by means of said cam to throw thesame farther forward a predetermined distance to crack the-nuts after which all of said plungers of both sets are retracted.

' As shown 'in the accompanying drawings, one set of said plu ugers iscarr ed bya reciprocating plate 1 mounted in a guide formed between a table 2 and a plate 3 suit ably mounted thereon.- The said plate 1 is actuated by means of a cam at on-a c0untershaft 5, said cam engaging the anti-friction roller 6 on a plunger 7. The movementof the latter is transmitted to the plate 1 by suitable means-which require no particular The countershaft 5'is actuated by means of a worm" wheel 8 thereon which meshes struotion -with which a crank 14: is adjusti ably-engaged, the latter being adapted through the intermediacy of a pitman 15 i the-other end of the shaft 12, to impart replunger provided with sai'd' 'openings when. I

ciprocatory motion to the plunger 16 which carries the nuts from a hopper 17 into receptacl es which the cracking plungers 18 and 19 respectively,' are adapted to enter from opposite ends. The hopper 17 is mounted upon the said plate 3. It has a fiat bottom plate 20 over which'the said plunger 16 moves, the latter moving through a slot in the front wall of said hopper. The plunger 16 is connected at its forward end with the pitmen 15 ouopposite sides of the machine. the trunnions 21 of said plunger moving in guide slots 22 inv guide plates 23 suitably mounted upon the frame of the ma chine. The said plunger 16 is provided with a beveled inner end 2-it which is adapted to pass underneath the mass of nuts contained in the hopper 17 when movingin one direction and which is provided adjacent said beveled end with a plurality, of openings 25 in which the nuts-to bevci'acked'are received and are carried through .the 'slo't in the front wall of the honper tpl said plunger and thereafter drop by gravity ln to receptacles 26 disposed underneath the portion of said the same reaches the forward limit of its movement. gAs shown in l 1 g;,+3--thesa1d openings 25 conslst of transverse slots in said plunger '16 slightly longer than the usual length of pecan. nuts found on the market, the said openings being, as shown more particularly in Fig. 6, flared toward their lower or discharge ends so as to prevent nuts becoming wedged therein. The enlargement of said openings 25 is prefering the same immediately below the upper face; of the plunger 16 so as to leave a peripheral lip or flange 27 constituting the peripheral wall of each of said openings at its inlet end. Thus the points at the ends of the pecan nuts are given very little surface to engage and consequently there is very little likelihood or danger of a nut becoming lodged in one of said openings 25 so as to not readily drop from the same by gravity as the plunger reaches'the forward limit of ings 25 pass beyond the forward end of the plate 20. The said plate 20 while reciprocating within the hopper 17 agitat-cs the contents thereof and causes the nuts contained therein and disposed adjacent the bottom thereof to assume positions in which their to 'the'dire'ctions of movement of said plunger 16 thus positioning them so as to cause one of same to drop into each of said open- .ings as the latter pass into the hopper at each return stroke of said plunger.

Suitably mounted upon the table 28 carrying the-guidesfor the plungers 29 carrying the anvil heads 19, against which the cracking stroke thereof. are two bars or projections 30 in the free end portions of which the ends of the shaft or bar 31 carrying a plate 32 are journaled. The said plate 32 is equipped on its upper face midway between its ends with parallel pockets or receptacles extending transversely thereof and parallel with the direction of movement of the said pockets or receptacles 33 are provided with tapering or converging side walls contiguous to the bottoms thereof and by means of which the nuts are adapted to be centered therein and held in the path of the opposed ends of the cracking plungers to present their ends to oppose tile opposing ends of the latter. The said plate 32 is adapted to be oscillatetjl so as to tilt or cant at an angle after each cracking stroke of the plungers and after dctrac-tion of the latter so -as' to d scharge the contents of the pockets or receptacles 33, tins being accomplished as follows: (hi one end of said plate is a Z-shaped plate 34 secured ",tothe plate 32 by one of its flanges. the other flange carryingja bar lot the trunnions of the plun'ger16 andiwhen' he latter is adapted to .be engaged by one."

so neagedis thrown to 'position parallel ably accon-iplished by horizontally enlargits movement at which time the said openlongitudinal axes are disposed transversely ing heads 18 force the nuts during the crackcracking plungers and the plunger 16. The

with the horizontal plane in which said plunger moves, the upper face of said bar being then-disposed parallel with the lower wall of the slot 22 in one of the plates 23. The said bar is of greater length than. the width of said plate 32 and projects beyond therearedge of the latter which is ilush with one edge of'the shaft or bar 31 carrying the same. The said projecting portionofthe bar. becomes disposed in the path of the trunnionadapted to engage the same when the plate 353 is canted into discharge position and is engaged thereby early in the forward stroke of the plungerlG so that when the latter has'attained a position substantially' -midway between its limits of movement, said plate 32 will be parallel with the said plunger 16 and will. be maintained so during the balance of the forward stroke of said plunger 16 and until the latter has again reached a point substantially midway between the limits of its movement on its return stroke, after which said plate 32 will cant by gravity until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 2. In the event, however, that said plate 32 should fail to become tilted orcauted by. gravity as the plunger 16 approaches the rearward limit of its .movement, I have provided on the other end ofsaid plate 32 a projection. 36 which is disposed in the path of aj-lug 37 on the arm 38 of one of the ,pitmen 15, said lug being adapted as said plunger approaches the rearward limit of its movement to engage V the said proicction 36 and thus force the plate into its tilted or canted p'ositionto discharge its contents. Between the upper ends of said pockets or receptacles 33 and the lower face of the plunger 16 there are disposed guide plates or deflectors 39, shown in detail in Fig. 8-. Each of the latter is mounted upon a rod all) through a longitudinal slot 42 in a bar l3, the latter being equipped with flanges 44. by means of which it is bolted or otherwise secured to the said guide plates 23. Each ofsaid threaded ends of said bolts or rods 4:0 is equipped witha nut by means of which the said bar 43 is firmly engaged thereby so as to hold said plates 39 in any desired position. said plates being thus adjustable on a horizontal axis and also laterally of the frame of the machine, aswill be obvious. Said plates 39 are adjusted so as to bring'their lower edges into vertical alinement with the upper edges of the side walls of the receptacles or pockets 33 and the upper edges of said plates 39 are disposed so as to lie in vertical alinement with the walls separating Contiguous openings or pockets 25 in the plunger '16 from each other so that the nuts carried in said openings or pockets 25 will be delivered between-two contiguous plates 39 and delivered by the latter into said respective 5-pockets 33. The nuts will, in dropping aI'I l -the plunger of the coming into contact with one or both of said plates 39 and with the side walls of said pockets or receptacles 33, be turned through an arc of substantially SO'degrees so a'sto extend longiti'ldinallv of said pockets or receptacles.

In operation the movements of the cracking plungcrs are timed relatively to the movements of the plunger 16 or vice versa so that immediatelyafter the latter reaches the forward limit of its movement the cracking plungers move into the pockets or receptacles 38 to'engage the contained nuts between the same. Then the final movement is imparted to the plungers 18 to crack the nuts and thereupon both sets of said 'plungers 18 and 19 are withdrawn from the pockets 33, this last move-mentbeing accomplished before or substantially at the same time that the plunger 16 reaches a point substantially midway between the limits of its movement. The plate 32 carrying the said pockets or receptacles begins to tilt before the nut cracking pluugers make their cracking stroke and completes its tilting movement to discharge the contained cracked nuts substantially simultaneously with the completion of the inward stroke of the plunger 16 and, as the latter again moves forward carrvin a fresh so jlv of'nuts in u s PP t .the said openings or pockets 25, the said plate 32 1s returned to itsfirst position and receives the nuts asthe plunger 16 reaches the forward limit of its movement. This operation is repeated at regular intervals as will be obvious. l

Owing to .the fact that the plunger 16 has a regular and continuous reciprocatory movement, and by reason of the shape of the pockets or openings 25 therein, the machine requires no other attention than to see that the hopper 17 is maintained well filled wlth large number of said machines without inconvenience and the cracking of nuts is thus accomplished with great speed and economy.

The mechanism is also very simple, strong and durable besides being very efiicient and is not liable to get out of order.

The machine to which the feed mechanism is herein shown to be applied is, as above stated, adapted for cracking pecan nuts and same, is, therefore, illustrated to adapt it to this particular type of nut. The cracking machine may, however,- be adapted to walnuts, Brazil nuts, etc., and the feed mechanism will, in that event, be modified in certain particulars to adapt the same to the particular kind of nut to be fed.

1 claim as my invention:

1. In a nut cracking machine, having opposed cracking plungcrs, and mechanism for actuating the same at regular intervals, a hopper for nuts to be cracked, a plunger having openings therein to receive nuts renuts. Thus one person can attend to a very ciprocable. in the bottom of saidhopper and through a slot in one Wall thereof, mechanism for reciprocating said plunger to alter nately bring the'openings therein into and outofsaid hopper, pockets open at their ends disposed to receive the ends of the opposed cracking plungers and disposed below and adapted to receive the nuts from said openings in said plunger as the .latter reaches the forward limit of: its movement, and meanstor rocking said pockets to cant the same after each cracking stroke of the cracking plungers to discharge the contents thereof. 2. In a nut cracking machine, having opposed cracking plungers, and mechanism for actuating the same at regular intervals, a hopper for nuts to be cracked, a plunger having openings therein to receive nuts reciprocable in the bottom of said hopper and through a slotin "one Wall thereof, mechanism for reciprocating said plunger to alternately bring the openings therein into and out of said hopper, a rocking member disposed below the cracking plungers and carrying pockets open at their ends and disposed to receive theends of the cracking plungers and adapted to receive the nuts from said plunger as the latter reaches the forward limit of its movement, and means on said rocking member adapted tobe actu-- ated' by the reciprocating nut feeding mecha-- nism'to impart rocking movement thereto I in at least one direction.

and outof said hopper, a normally cant-ed 3. In a nut cracking machine, having opposed cracking plungers, and mechanism for actuating the same at regular intervals, a hopper tor nuts to be cracked, a plunger having openings therein to receive nuts reciprocable in the bottom of said hopper and through a slot in one wall thereoflmechanism for reciprocating said plunger to alternately bring theopenings therein into rocking member carrying pockets adapted to receive the nuts and support them in the path of the cracking plungers and adapted to be canted after each cracking st-roke or" said plungers to discharge their contents, and a bar carried by said rocking member and adapted to be engaged by apart of the feed plunger actuating means for turning the same to and maintaining it in horizontal position to receive and retain the nuts to be cracked until completion of the cracking stroke of the cracking plungers.

' 4:. In a nut cracking machine, having op posed cracking plungers, and mechanism for actuating the same at regular intervals, a

hopper for nuts to be cracked, a plunger having openings therein to receivenuts reciprocable in the bottom of said hopper and a slot in one wall thereof, mechanism for reciprocating said plunger to al- A massesternatelybring the openings therein into and out of saidhopper, a normally-canted r0ck-' mg member carrying pockets adapted tore ceive the nuts and supportthem in thepath of the cracking plungers and adapted to be canted after eachcrackingstroke to discharge their contents, and means carried by said rocking member and adapted to be engaged by a reciprocating-partof the feed mechanism to t-urn'thev same to and maintain the same in horizontal position -to .re ceiveand retain the nuts to be cracked until completion of the cracking stroke 0f the cracking plungers.

' 5. Ina nut cracking machine, having opposed crackingv plungers, and mechanism: for actuating the same at regular'intervals, a

hopper for-nuts to be cracked, a plunger having openings" therein to receive nuts.reciprocable-in the bottom of said hopper andthrough a'slot in one wall thereof, mecha-' 55 nism for reciprocating saidplunger to alternately bring .the openings therein into and out of said hopper, a normally canted rocking member carrying pockets adapted to receive the nuts and support them in the path of the cracking plungers and adapted to be canted after each cracking stroke to dis charge their contents, and means carried by said rocking member and adapted to be engaged by reciprocating parts of the-feed mechanism to alternately turn the sameto horizontal and canted position respectively,

at difierent intervals.

-6. In a nut cracking machine, having op posed cracking plungers, and mechanism for 101:- actuating the same at regular intervals, a hopper for nuts to be cracked, a recipro} eating carrier movable in the bottom of said hopper and through a slot in one Wall thereof, said carrier providedbetween itslends 195 with openings" adapted to receive the nuts and carry the same from said hopper, said plunger having a'beveled inner edge'adapted to raise the nuts containedin said hopper during each inward stroke,]whereby'said nuts are caused to rolland present their longitudinal axes transversely tothe direction of motion of said plunger, theopenings' in the latter resembling in shape thelongitudinal sections of the nuts and disposed so that their longest diameters extend trans versely to'the direction of movement of said plunger.

7. ln a nut cracking machine, having opposed crackingplungers, and mechanism for 12s actuating the same gat. regular intervals, a

hopper for nuts ,to 'be cracked, a reciprocating carrier movable 1n the bottom of said hopper and through a slot in one Wall therefl I J 1 0i. said .caiiier provided between its ends with openings adapted to receive the; uts and carry-the same from sad h per, mee for receiving said nuts and hdldlil same "111 engaging-relation to the craeking-plungers, name in presence of two subscribing witand adapted to cant'to" discharge the nuts vnesses.

between the intervals of actuation. of the cracking plungers, and devices contl dlled- I TADDEO 5 by theearrir eetuatin'g mechanism for de- Witnesses:

termining the'po'siti'onof'said means. MAE M. BOYLE,

' In testimony whereof I have signed my F. T. HIGLEY. 

